As soon as I married Dima, his mother Galina Petrovna immediately intruded into our lives. From the very first days, she began to manipulate her son, extorting money from us allegedly for medicines and housing bills.
At first, I didn’t pay much attention to her antics. But over time, I realized — we were dealing with a real tyrant! Galina Petrovna seemed to be draining the last of our resources.
“Dima, have you ever seen your mom working?” I couldn’t take it anymore. “She just blows all our money!”
But my husband just shrugged.
When my mother-in-law demanded “some money for insulin” again, I was shocked:
“Dima, are you out of your mind?! This scammer is bleeding us dry! Stop indulging her!”
But Dima only made excuses:
“Well, she’s a mother… How can I say no?”
However, the conversation clearly didn’t help. Soon, Galina Petrovna sent a text message:
“My beloved son! I urgently need money for surgery. Bring 200 thousand. And don’t you dare deny your mother!”
I almost smashed my phone against the wall! This was blatant extortion!
When I read this message, I barely restrained myself from throwing the phone. Enough is enough!
“That’s it, Dima! Either divorce or you take the bull by the horns and firmly deal with this schemer!” I snapped. “And you’ll forbid her from even approaching Masha!”
My husband just shrugged his hands.
“And you can handle a wife and a child?! I’m tired of this lawlessness!”
Dima sighed:
“Alright, I’ll go to mom and sort everything out. I promise!”
However, upon his return, he looked gloomier than ever:
“Mom said that if I don’t leave you, we’ll have to say goodbye to the apartment…”
“Dima, you’re going to tolerate her blackmailing you?!” I flared up. “Decide who’s more important to you – your wife and your child or a greedy old woman!”
My husband threw a tantrum:
“Do you understand if I offend her, I’ll lose everything! She raised me, how can I betray my own mother?!”
I looked at him with disgust:
“She’s turned you into a weakling and a mama’s boy! And I mean nothing to you?! Should I file for divorce, or will you go back to your precious mother?”
Dima slammed the door, and I burst into tears. Do I really mean less to him than that harridan?!
The next morning, Dima acted as if nothing had happened. He hugged me, kissed Masha. I waited for apologies and explanations, but he didn’t even mention yesterday’s quarrel!
I couldn’t take it anymore:
“And that’s it? You’re just going to pretend nothing happened?”
“Let’s not talk about the bad,” Dima evasively replied. “I’ve sorted everything, mom won’t demand anything from us anymore.”
“Really?” I skeptically frowned. “And how did you persuade her?”
My husband vaguely waved his hand:
“We just had a heart-to-heart talk. The main thing is, everything will be fine now!”
I doubted it was that simple. But I decided to stop questioning for the time being – maybe she really did back off at last!
Two peaceful weeks passed. I was beginning to hope that Dima really managed to reason with his mother. However, one fine day, a call from Galina Petrovna came:
“Lena, dear! I need to talk to you. Can you come over?”
I was wary:
“What about?”
“Just some family matters,” my mother-in-law replied. “And bring little Masha along. I’ve missed my granddaughter!”
This insistent invitation made me tense. Surely, she was up to something again! But it was awkward to refuse. Sighing, I gathered Masha and went to my mother-in-law’s. My bad premonitions did not deceive me…
“Lena, I have a serious conversation for you,” Galina Petrovna declared right from the doorstep. “I’ve decided – you and Dima are taking out a mortgage for a two-bedroom apartment. And you’ll register it in my name.”
“Have you lost your mind?! Why should we take out a loan for you? We have plenty of expenses as it is!”
“Otherwise, I’ll take Masha to live with me,” my mother-in-law threatened. “I’ll provide her with a separate room and all conveniences! Dima supports me in this.”
I barely contained my fury:
“Have you and Dima already agreed on everything? I can’t believe it!”
“Well, where can he go? He’s a son; he should take care of his mother. So think it over, or little Masha will move in with me!”
“What a villain!”
After returning home from the conversation with my mother-in-law, I unleashed a scandal on Dima:
“Ah, you scoundrel! So, you secretly promised your mother to take out a mortgage for her?! And you used Masha as a threat!”
My husband blinked in confusion:
“Lena, I’m just trying for us… What can I do if mom is in such a situation?”
“Just go to hell with your mommy!” I yelled, throwing a pillow at him. “I’m filing for divorce! And I’m taking Masha!”
“Don’t even think about it! There will be no divorce. And if you take Masha away, I’ll take her back!”
I was breathless from such treachery. I grabbed my bag, ran out of the apartment, and slammed the door.
I realized—I urgently needed a lawyer’s help to take Masha and start a new life. The audacious blackmail by my mother-in-law and Dima’s betrayal had filled my cup of patience to the brim!
Fortunately, a colleague at work gave me the contacts of an experienced family lawyer. I immediately contacted him, describing the situation.
“There’s every chance to win custody,” the lawyer assured me. “Your husband is clearly unable to take care of his daughter, giving in to his mother’s whims so easily. Threaten him with losing parental rights.”
Talking to the confident lawyer inspired me.
During another of Dima’s tantrums, I firmly told him:
“Tomorrow, I’m filing for divorce.”
“You’re still incapable of anything on your own!” he snapped back. “You’ll starve without me.”
“Don’t count on it!” I retorted. “I’ve already found an excellent lawyer; he promised to strip you of your parental rights. So get ready to say goodbye to your daughter!”
Dima’s eyes widened in surprise. It seems he finally began to understand that I was not joking!
After the divorce, I moved to another city with my relatives, taking Masha with me. I got a job, rented an apartment. Of course, it’s tough raising a child alone. But my daughter and I are happy without the greedy mother-in-law!
And Dima stayed with his mom. Let her command him alone now! And Masha and I will start a new life.
The first months after the divorce and move were not easy. I had to work from morning till night to make ends meet.
At first, my ex-husband tried to threaten through a lawyer, demanding to return his daughter. But I stood my ground—let him even fly to the moon with his demands!
Gradually, I settled into life in a new place. I began to smile more often, feeling truly free, without the oppression of a mother-in-law and a weak-willed husband!
Six months after the divorce, I met Sergey—our new boss at work. When he first appeared in the office, I even thought: “My God, there are such men too!”
Sergey made an impression of a strong and decisive man, accustomed to achieving his goals. At the same time, he was always the life of the party, easy and pleasant to talk to.
And another six months after meeting, Sergey asked me out on a date! After several romantic dates, he proposed, and I said “yes” without hesitation!
It seems a real man has appeared in my life!
We got married a year after meeting. For the first time, I felt like a truly happy bride—loved, desired, the only one!
Sergey surrounded me with care and attention. And when he picked up Masha, calling her his daughter, I even teared up from emotion.
My new mother-in-law, Maria Semenovna—cheerful, kind-hearted, adoring her granddaughter. No comparison to the former mother-in-law-the-harridan!
After marriage, life filled with meaning and joy. My new husband surrounded me with such care and attention that I had never dreamed of in my previous marriage.
He brought me coffee in bed every morning, arranged romantic surprises. And Sergey genuinely loved my daughter Masha, affectionately calling her “little daughter.”
His mother, Maria Semenovna, also warmly welcomed me into the family. She kept spoiling us with her culinary masterpieces, doting on Masha.
We became one big happy family, spending all holidays and weekends together. I felt the warmth of family people.
The first six months of our life together flew by like a happy dream. We made plans for the future, dreamed of a second child.
It seemed that only a bright and joyful life awaited me.
However, after 6 months of idyll, new serious challenges suddenly arose in my life.
It turned out that Sergey’s ex-wife, Vera, left him for a lover a couple of years ago. But during the divorce, she wheedled a large sum of alimony from Sergey.
And now, learning about our wedding, Vera decided to take revenge by suing for half of the property due under the prenuptial agreement in case of “infidelity by one of the spouses.” She filed a lawsuit, claiming Sergey had cheated on her with me even before their divorce.
This vile woman somehow managed to obtain photographs of us walking in the park a couple of months before his divorce.
Sergey managed to prove in court that his marriage to Vera was only maintained on a gentleman’s agreement at that point.
“I hadn’t lived with her for six months before our official divorce!” Sergey indignantly declared. “We parted by mutual consent because of her infidelity. And we maintained relations purely formally, for tax benefits.”
Sergey provided the court with credible evidence that by that time, he and Vera were absolutely strangers. And their sham marriage had dissolved long before I came into Sergey’s life.
In the end, the judge sided with Sergey and denied Vera’s claims!
It seemed that after all the legal proceedings, our family life would get back on track. But one day Sergey came home gloomier than a cloud and confessed to serious financial problems.
It turned out that before our wedding, he had invested almost all his savings in one company’s shares. Unfortunately, it went bankrupt, the shares depreciated, and Sergey lost all his capital!
Moreover, to somehow compensate for these losses, he had to take out large loans at high interest rates. Now the debts were growing like a snowball, and Sergey was virtually on the verge of complete bankruptcy!
I was shocked. How, we had just settled our household, started making plans, and suddenly such financial problems fell on us?! What to do, how to be?!
Sergey assured me that he would fix everything over time—we just needed to endure and live frugally. But I was tormented by doubts and fears: what if this misfortune separates us? Or do we have to give up our dreams of a second child?..
However, soon I realized—if we love each other, no money should separate us.
I sat, experiencing mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was worried about Sergey and our future. On the other—I was eager to help my beloved.
“Sergey, listen… Let me also go to work? We’ll close your debts faster! It’s so hard for me to see how you struggle alone…”
Sergey sighed and shook his head:
“Why bother yourself with extra troubles? I can handle it myself… I don’t want you to wear yourself out because of me.”
I objected:
“What troubles?! Am I your wife or what? We’re one family! Or are you afraid I won’t cope?”
“No, darling! It’s just that I don’t want you to get tired… Better rest and gather strength. And I’ll slowly fix everything. I promise!”
I raised an eyebrow:
“So, you think I should sit idly by while you work hard? Sorry, but that’s not fair! Stop coddling me.”
Sergey looked at me bewildered. I continued to insist:
“I’ve already found a part-time job. I’ll help you as much as I can! And I don’t want to argue about it anymore.”
My husband sighed heavily and nodded:
“Alright then… I see you can’t be dissuaded. Work if you have the opportunity. I can’t handle these debts alone anyway…”
A month later, I started working the second shift. It was not easy to combine with household chores and caring for Sergey.
But when he kissed me gratefully and said, “I don’t know what I’d do without you!”, I knew—it was worth it.
A couple of months later, Sergey came to me happy:
“I have great news! I received a bonus and paid off all the debts! No one will extort money anymore.”
I joyfully hugged him:
“Sergey, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you! Does that mean we’ve won?”
Sergey nodded with a smile:
“Yes, darling, we’ve made it! And it’s all thanks to your help and support. Honestly, I would’ve definitely gone mad from all these problems without you…”
He tenderly kissed me and held me close. I closed my eyes peacefully, enjoying his embrace. Now we could stop worrying about our future—we had survived this ordeal and become even stronger as a family.
Six months later, our life settled into a familiar routine. Sergey was offered a good job with a decent salary. And I continued to work part-time to save up faster for our cherished dream—a child.
And then one evening, I couldn’t hold back and with a joyful smile, I told Sergey the news:
“Dear… It seems we’ll soon have another family member! I’m pregnant!”
“Seriously, darling?! Our baby is on the way? That’s amazing!”
He picked me up and twirled me around the room. I laughed happily:
“Take it easy! Or you’ll shake the baby’s cradle too much.”
Sergey carefully set me down on the sofa and sat next to me, looking at me with loving eyes:
“I’m just over the moon with happiness, darling! We’ve been through so many trials side by side, so dreamed of a little one… And here it is, the fruit of our love!”
I gently stroked my still flat stomach:
“Yes, now no money can separate us. We’ve overcome all difficulties, and most importantly—we’ve kept faith in each other. And with the arrival of the little one, we’ll become an even stronger family!”
Time passed. I was preparing for childbirth, and Sergey and I were waiting for a boy. We went through many names and finally settled on—Alexander.
“Alexander Sergeyevich, like Pushkin,” my husband stroked my stomach.
“Yes, indeed. May everything turn out better for him than for his namesake,” I smiled in response.
Galina Petrovna periodically called and begged for a meeting with Masha. But my daughter flatly refused to see her father and grandmother. Galina Petrovna scared her, and her father had never shown much affection for her before. Why start now?
Everything was ready for the birth of our son. We decided to rent an apartment for now, as our finances did not allow us to buy a spacious home.
My new mother-in-law offered to help with housing, suggesting options, and I know she did it from the bottom of her heart. But based on my sad experience, I didn’t want to depend on anyone.
“We’d better do it slowly ourselves,” I explained to Maria Semenovna.
“Where will you fit in a two-bedroom apartment with two children? It’s cramped. Especially since the kids are of different genders. Oh, you’re a stubborn girl, Lenka,” my husband’s mother scolded kindly. “Okay, decide for yourselves, it’s my job to offer.”
A few weeks later, I gave birth. The birth went smoothly. The baby quickly gained strength, and after five days, we were released home.
The apartment was decorated with balloons and congratulatory posters.
“Masha suggested it,” Sergey said bashfully.
“Thank you so much!” I pecked my beloved on the cheek.
It seemed life was settling down. Sergey was advancing in his career, the children were growing up healthy and happy. We were making plans and dreaming of a house.
A year later, Dima appeared on our doorstep. He did not look very good. It seemed he had been drinking for many months.
“Hello, Lena,” my ex-husband greeted, not even looking me in the eye.
“Hello,” if until that time I still harbored some anger, now it was replaced by pity.
“Will you let me in?”
“Uh…yes…come in,” I hesitated a bit.
Sergey took the children for a walk, and I was busy in the kitchen at the time. Today was Saturday, which meant a family evening with watching cartoons, as well as eating chips and ice cream.
“You look good, you were different with me.”
“With you, I was unhappy,” I replied sharply.
I already started to scold myself for giving in to weakness and letting my ex-husband cross the threshold.
“What do you want?” I decided to ask directly. “Sergey will be back with the kids soon, I don’t think they’ll be pleased with your presence.”
“I wanted to see Masha.”
“She doesn’t want to talk to you. Maria is already a grown girl and can make such decisions herself. I don’t forbid her to communicate with you, she decided it herself.”
“Is she very mad at me?”
“What do you think? You and your mother made our lives miserable for years, blackmail, threats, neglect. Where have you been all these years, Dim?” he lowered his head like a guilty boy. His shoulders began to tremble, then came the sound of crying.
“Mom’s gone. I buried her three months ago. She was quite young, just 65, but her heart was weak,” his appearance was so miserable that I wanted to come over and hug him, but I stopped myself. “Now I’m completely alone, there’s no one left but you and Masha.”
I wanted to scream that it was his fault. He had a chance to fix everything, but he chose another path. What does he want from me now? Came to cry and thinks everything will be like before?
“Accept my condolences,” was all I could muster.
Although I hated my former mother-in-law, I did not wish death upon her. After all, she was a living person.
“Know what, come tomorrow. I’ll try to talk to Masha, let her decide. I can’t help you with anything else.”
“Thank you,” still with teary eyes, hope awakened.
In the evening, I talked to my daughter, and Maria agreed to meet with her father. My girl had grown up completely. Now she reacted quite calmly to her father’s appearance. And just recently, she said she would never approach him in her life.
A few months later, Dima became a frequent guest at our apartment. Sergey still did not trust him and asked him to come only when he was home. But all this was done for Masha. She seemed to rediscover her father. To be fair, I noted that Dima really showed his best side. He treated his daughter like a princess, and little Alexander Sergeyevich adored him.
It’s amazing how psychological pressure and codependent relationships affect a person. Perhaps, losing his mother, he will finally find himself.
Lena finally found peace and stability in life with her second husband Sergey. Despite the difficulties, they managed to overcome them together.